FX.co ★ US Building Permits Fall More than Expected

US building permits declined by 2.7% month-over-month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.394 million in August 2026, undershooting market expectations of 1.41 million. Authorizations for multifamily buildings with five or more units fell 3.1% to 467,000, while single-family permits slipped 1.8% to 878,000. By region, permits decreased in the Northeast (-15.8% to 128,000), the Midwest (-7.6% to 208,000), and the South (-0.4% to 745,000), but increased in the West (1.6% to 313,000).